2026年7月6日 ASEAN Express

ASEAN Economic Special Report (300 articles total)

Embrace the New Southbound Policy and look towards ASEAN's economic pulse. CNA's "Southeast Asia Economic Information Network" selects multiple financial headlines from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and other countries daily for you. Whether it's new government policies, industry trends, or investment opportunities, we provide you with timely key information to gain insight into the market and seize business opportunities.

Vietnam: Economic growth of 8.18% in the first half of 2026

(CNA Taipei, July 6) Vietnam's economy performed strongly in the first six months of 2026, with most industries showing positive growth; GDP in the first half of the year grew by 8.18% compared to the same period last year.

According to VNA, Vietnam's GDP growth in the first half of this year was higher than 7.63% in the same period of 2025 and 6.64% in the same period of 2024.

Laos: 9.3 km new embankment along the Mekong River inaugurated, Vientiane adds 13 parks

(CNA Taipei, July 6) With the completion of the second phase of the Mekong River Integrated Management Project, Vientiane officially inaugurated a new 9.3-kilometer embankment along the Mekong River on the 1st. The area integrates parks, pedestrian walkways, bicycle paths, sports facilities, and flood control infrastructure.

This new embankment extends from Wat Nak village in Sisattanak district to Hatdokkeo village in Hadsayfong district, serving 19 villages along the route, and includes 13 new public parks, a riverside promenade, boat docks, street lighting, sidewalks, and drainage systems.

Singapore: 40% of Singaporeans believe wealth equals success

(CNA Taipei, July 6) According to The Straits Times, a recent survey found that as many as 40% of Singaporean respondents equate wealth with success.

The survey, part of AIA's "Rethink Healthy" regional study, found that 40% of Singaporeans believe that being wealthy is a prerequisite for being considered "successful."

Philippines: BusinessWorld survey shows inflation to cool for the second consecutive month in June

(CNA Taipei, July 6) Analysts say that falling oil and rice prices are expected to offset the impact of rising electricity prices, leading to a slowdown in inflation in the Philippines for the second consecutive month in June, reaching a three-month low.

A survey by BusinessWorld of 18 analysts shows that the median inflation rate for June is forecast at 6.6%, down from 6.8% in May, but up from 1.4% in the same period last year.

Myanmar: Rice exports exceed 520,000 tons in Q1 of FY 2026-27, earning $167 million

(CNA Taipei, July 6) According to statistics from the Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF), in the first quarter of the 2026-2027 fiscal year, which began on April 1, 2026, Myanmar exported 529,000 tons of rice and broken rice by sea, with export earnings of $167 million. Of this, April exports were 169,000 tons, May exports were 136,000 tons, and June exports were 224,000 tons, with export values of $51 million, $42 million, and $74 million, respectively.

MRF data shows that Myanmar's rice and broken rice exports exceeded 2.7 million tons in the 2025-2026 fiscal year, with total export earnings of $861 million; in the previous fiscal year, exports were 2.48 million tons, earning $1.129 billion. To achieve its export targets, the Myanmar Ministry of Commerce is cooperating with rice, garment, rubber, fishery, and business associations to promote export growth.

Malaysia: IC design capabilities attract Japanese interest, joint venture to seize edge AI chip opportunities

(CNA Taipei, July 6) Japanese AI startup TAI (Tokyo Artisan Intelligence) announced a collaboration with Malaysian listed IC design giant Oppstar, successfully completing the evaluation of an edge AI test chip and planning to start mass production in the second half of 2027, using UMC's 40nm process.

According to Nikkei Asia, the two companies are targeting low-power, low-latency application markets such as factories and railways. Analysis suggests that Japan is rebuilding its semiconductor industry and facing a talent shortage, while Malaysia is actively promoting the chip industry towards high-value-added areas such as IC design. This collaboration is expected to be mutually beneficial.

Thailand: Thai shrimp exports to Malaysia expected to resume within 30 days

(CNA Taipei, July 6) According to the Thai Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Thailand and Malaysia are working to expedite sanitary and food safety inspections for five types of Thai shrimp, with exports expected to resume within 30 days.

This comes after Malaysia previously imposed a temporary import ban on five types of shrimp from Thailand. Thai Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Suriya Juangroongruangkit expressed confidence, stating that with accelerated negotiations between the two sides, the verification process will be finalized within 30 days, after which bilateral trade will return to normal.

Cambodia: Inflation surged to 5.8% in April, World Bank warns of 3 major challenges severely impacting consumption

(CNA Taipei, July 6) According to a World Bank report, Cambodia is facing severe impacts on domestic purchasing power and vulnerable populations due to three major challenges: soaring oil prices, a sharp decline in remittances from migrant workers, and weak domestic credit. Cambodia's Consumer Price Index (CPI) in April rose by 5.8% compared to the same period last year, with oil prices remaining high.

The report indicates that rising food and transportation costs are the main drivers of inflation, with food prices increasing by 5.7% in March and transportation costs soaring by 12.9%. Additionally, due to border tensions, millions of migrant workers in Thailand returned home, reducing remittance income to 3.6% of GDP, and domestic credit has significantly slowed down.

Indonesia: Policy leads to wave of layoffs, reflecting structural weaknesses in the labor market

(CNA Taipei, July 6) Tadjuddin Noer Effendi, a labor economist at Gadjah Mada University in Indonesia, stated that despite strong economic growth in Indonesia, a series of government policies have led to a continuous wave of layoffs, highlighting deeper structural weaknesses in the Indonesian labor market.

The Jakarta Globe reported that Professor Tadjuddin Noer Effendi of Gadjah Mada University said that although Indonesia's economy grew by 5.61% in the first quarter of 2026, this has not translated into stronger employment growth, as businesses face challenges such as automation, technological change, and ongoing economic uncertainty.

"The current wave of layoffs reflects structural problems in the economy," Tadjuddin said, adding that economic growth alone cannot create jobs without significant investment in labor-intensive industries.

*For more information, please contact Section Chief Chang Li-chuan at (02) 2505-1180 ext. 792 or EMAIL: [email protected]

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